Confessions: Next Right Thing May Not Be On To-Do List

Having fun in the kitchen with your kids is one of life’s gifts! These memories will be lasting for a lifetime.

O.K., I have a confession. My last post, “Just do the Next Right Thing”, truly is a concept that I live by, but I think I was shown the next few days after posting that that I needed to post the what occurred in that time. SOMETIMES THE NEXT RIGHT THINGS ARE NOT ON YOUR “TO DO” LIST! I want to encourage not to feel like you have failed to get anything done just because it was not on your list.

As I re-read my post, I made it look so simple. Well, it is simple to follow God, but with all the distractions, it is not so easy to know what the next right thing is! There are so many things from which to choose. It is good that God sees the heart and will enable us to do the right thing!

Well, to begin, I must let you know that I was supposed to be preparing for a speaking event. I had planned to teach school in the morning along with washing clothes and preparing the meals for that day and write my speech in the afternoon. I had scheduled my time to where it would not be difficult and I would have time left over to rest with Scott and prepare my mind for the next day’s event.

I don’t even know how to begin. I started the day as usual in prayer and Bible reading and had my plans set for the day. One of my sons walks dogs twice a day, but he had “subbed” his job to his sister while he took another job for the day. I wanted to make sure that she understood what to do so the other children and I walked together to get the dogs. Upon arrival, one of the dogs (and when I mean dogs, I mean special, expensive show dogs that they had to have references for to buy) was obviously in distress. He had his leg stuck in an iron base of a bar stool. I panicked! (I always thought I could handle emergencies well, but when it comes to one of my kids or their responsibilities, I panic! Not good at all!) The dog could not move at all. I could not get his leg unstuck with soapy water or anything. I could not find the owner’s phone numbers. Luckily, they are patients of my husband and I called his office. I called the owners. No answer. Finally, I reached them and one of them went to get a calming pill at the vets office. Once we arrived, we took the bar stool and the dog to the vet to have the bar stool removed! Bear in mind that I had to figure out what to do with the other kids while all of this was going on. In the truck I got a call that people were waiting at my house to film the new bees being put into their hives. Very unexpected.

Immediately when I walked in the door, I raced to get ready and get my bee suit on, find all the camera equipment, and decide how to film the event. Oh, my film guy, the son that is the dog walker, was out of town at my mom’s working for her. I had to see if one of my other kids could find out how to work the go-pro, etc. I wanted it filmed from all kinds of angles. I was about at my breaking point then and I prayed, “Lord, if it has to rain right over the hives, please let this get put off or something”. Sure enough it did get put off!!! I knew that I could not handle much more. Now we are into the afternoon. I could keep going, but you see the point. About 5 or 6 more occurrences like this happened and I did not get to work on my speech until about 8:00 that night. That may seem early to a lot of you, but that is getting rather late for me considering the next morning I was being televised and was scheduled to speak for 30 minutes.

All this to say, WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL OF OUR TIME. We can try to stick to a plan – and I am all for that – but do not lose heart when you can’t even mark one thing off of your calendar. I would not trade that day for anything. I was able to help a neighbor in need and teach my kids that MY PLANS are not the most important plans. I was humbled in that I am not always in control and in truth, we really are not ever in control. I also learned that what needs to get done will get done if I am faithful.

I would like to encourage you with this verse that comes to mind. “Come to me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30. His ways are restful. If you are overwhelmed, look to see if YOU have added to your plate things that were not meant to be on it and get them off. If you can’t cut out anything, just do the next right thing, and know that you will get it done…eventually. God will see to that!

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2 responses to “Confessions: Next Right Thing May Not Be On To-Do List”

Thanks for this post! It’s so encouraging! I am oftentimes humbled with the reminder that I am not in control. It’s a gentle nudge to remind me that it’s all about Him, not me. I just love your blog and appreciate all the work you put into it!

Thanks for the encouragement Kate. It is very hard for me not to want control and I have begun (I say begun because every time I think that I understand and am learning to be quiet and know that He is God, I have an event or situation that shows me I have not arrived!) to learn to wait and rest in Him. I think having the 7 kids it has MADE me learn because you know you are not in control, but a part of the equation. It is humbling I agree! I believe God gives me “real” things to post that hopefully will be encouraging to others. Thanks again! Stacy in touch.